The Justice System in British Columbia

The Criminal Justice System - The criminal justice system is made up of the law, processes and programs involved in preventing and responding to crime. It is part of a broader justice system, designed to resolve all sorts of legal problems. The other parts of the justice system are:

The Civil Justice System - The civil justice system is for resolving private disputes involving individuals, corporations, societies and/or governments. This includes disputes arising from breaches of contract, negligent acts that cause harm, dismissal from employment and many other matters arising in daily life.

The Family Justice System – The family justice system deals with disputes arising out of family breakup. This covers things like divorce, child custody and child and spousal support. In the past, the family justice system was treated as part of the civil justice system. But lawmakers and courts now recognize family cases are different from other civil matters – especially when they involve children – and that they need to be treated differently. This has led to the development of justice processes and services that address the unique needs of family cases.